The Best of Friends

Bethany Taft knows that God works in mysterious ways, but when she falls hard for Nick Perone, she has to ask herself what the Big Guy is thinking! After all, Bethanys "buddy" Nick is practically engaged to Grace, her oldest and dearest friend!

Determined to find her own Mr. Right, Bethany tasks Grace, a professional matchmaker, with finding her a date for New Years Eve. Grace is happy to oblige  but for research purposes, shell need Bethany to go on a "practice date"  with Nick!

Chapter One

Okay, so it wasnt like I was desperate  yet. I mean, there had certainly been other times when I had ended a relationship just weeks before some major social event. On the other hand, New Years Eve was not just any social event. It was the event  at least for the month of January. And Washington, D.C., is fairly overflowing with single greatlooking men. I wasnt worried  yet. Always one to take control where I could and leave the rest to God, I decided to go shopping.

I had gifts covered for family and friends, but there were parties and events associated with the season that demanded at the least a new pair of shoes, and at the most a dynamite jacket to freshen up one of my signature little black dresses. And that didnt even begin to address an outfit for New Years Eve.

MidDecember in D.C. can be either spectacularly sunny, even balmy, or it can be bonechilling and damp with a low cover of clouds that seems destined to collapse under its own weight. Monday was of the bonechilling variety, and damp had turned into actual drizzle. I dreaded leaving the warm cocoon of the lower level of the Church on the Circle. I often volunteer at the church, not only because Ive been a member there since birth but also because my best friend, Grace Harrison, is the director of adult programming. In my actual life  career wise  I am a freelance party/wedding/event planner.

I pull on my butternut leather jacket and newsboy cap and head down the hall to Graces office to let her know Im off to the mall. Not that this is a destination that interests her in the slightest  usually.

"The mall?" she says and reaches for her coat. "Great. Ill come with you." Grace cinches her trenchcoat belt and pulls on a really hideous knit beret.

Grace and I know each other very well. Weve been friends so long that we are closer than most sisters I know. We can finish each others sentences and we always know when the other one is  pick one  happy, sad, mad or holding something back. This  as you will see  will come in to play later, but I digress.

"You dont do malls," I remind her.

"Only when forced," she agrees as she stuffs various papers and other items into the leather backpack that she truly believes is a perfectly acceptable purse.

"Oh," I reply  a light dawning. "Of course, you also need something spectacular for New Years Eve, in case." Things are looking up. I am always more than willing to play personal shopper for Grace when it comes to clothes.

Grace is pulling on gloves that match the hat. I try not to shudder. "No," she says, laughing. "Its Nick. I have no idea what to get him and time is running out and well, Ive completely drawn a blank and youve known him as long as I have."

This is true. Nick Perone, Grace and I have been friends since Nick and his family moved in across the street from me when we were all juniors in high school. Within a month, Nick was like another member of our family  always in and out of the house or sprawled in one of the club chairs in our family room watching sports with my dad and brothers. He took Grace to our senior prom  at my suggestion. They both dated others during college.

But ever since Nick graduated Harvard Law and returned to D.C. ready to change the world, he and Grace have been seeing each other. I was seeing Bobby Fitzgerald at the time and it was natural that Nick and Grace would double with us. Then  long after Bobby was history  Grace and Nick stayed together while I moved on  and on.